My name is Emma and I am a nail polish addict...
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Friday, 15 November 2013

Cuticle Care update.

I've been looking through some old posts and realised just how bad my cuticles were and how much they've come on of late. I thought it might be worth a post with an update about what I'm doing now that I wasn't doing six months ago.

Please note I am in no way trained and the information below is just what I do personally to maintain my hands, it may not suit everyone.

First up the photographic evidence.

This post in May was before I got my saviour Cuticle Oil - SpaRitual CutiCocktail Oil. At this time I was using OPI Avoplex and Aldi Handcream.

In July I started using SpaRitual Cuti-Cocktail Oil and Protein Boost Strengthener. As this post shows, by the end of July my nails quickly showed the benefits and my skin improved.

Since then I've kept up a routine of using Spa Ritual Cuti-Cocktail oil, I think I'm on my third bottle now, I still use Aldi handcream. I've also added a couple more products which have really helped, Burt's Bees Lemon Cuticle Cream I picked up at the end of September as an add on item on Amazon and Bepanthen, hubby bought some of this nappy rash cream in Octoboer after getting a tattoo, once he was healed I tried it and loved it. These next two pictures have been on my blog in the last couple of weeks.

I also picked up a set of Burt's Bees stuff on Amazon as I started to get anxiety once my tin started looking low, the set contains hand creams and hand balm as well as a slightly smaller tin of the Lemon Cuticle Cream. The hand cream is great, but I do love my Aldi cheapy stuff!

I have been applying my cuticle oil, rubbing it in then following up with either the Lemon Cuticle Oil or Bepanthen to really lock in the oil and keep it in place. Then I apply handcream. I have had very bad eczema on my left hand all through the year, however at the moment with my current moisturising routine it's feeling much better - dare I say it, almost NORMAL! Hurrah! I am applying these at least three times a day.

Looking from the first picture to the last my hands in general are looking better, an ex once kindly told me I had hands like an 80 year old woman (that was about 10 years ago, so they must look like a 90 year old crone now...) see why he's an ex and wasn't a keeper?!!!

My cuticle pushing is normally done after a coat of oil and a layer of Burt's Bees cream, just a gentle push back with a soft plastic hoof stick, my favourite hoof stick is an old Leighton Denny one. Once I've done I will use nippers if there is any loose edges needing to be removed, then finish up with a generous layer of Bepanthen.

Since I have been following this routine and dropped the use of cuticle remover from my routine I have not had any major issues with my temptation to pick at the skin and the pictures are really showing a major improvement! I do have Sally Hansen Cuticle Remover gel, but I felt that maybe it's a bit too strong for my skin as it left my skin really dry and looking worse for the week following use.

How about you? Have you tried Burt's Bees? Do you have a must have cuticle care item? Please feel free to leave me a comment and let me know, I'd love to know if there's something I've not tried which could work even more miracles. I've never tried Lush Lemony Fluttery Butter, is that something worth trying?

5 comments:

I got lemony flutter a few weeks ago, and I do love it. It smells amazing, and is a really nice treat to use overnight. It is quite heavy, so not great for daytime use, but it is really effective. Mixing glycerin in my acteone for clean up has made a big difference for me too Your hands look so much better now though, mine also got much better when I started doing proper clean up. I guess the polish stops any oils or creams from getting to the skin under it when it's on your cuticles. xxx

I use glycerine and acetone, I think it works wonders! I'm glad you said that about the Lush being best overnight, I won't invest in it. I found my eczema is worst if I sleep with thick creams and lotions, something to do with my hands getting hot and the reaction is instant itchy outburst the next day. Ironic that for all my day time care I use bugger all overnight!!!

Yes Sarah, and Lidl. There used to be a stigma about going to them, but personally I am not snobbish over it, if I enjoy the food or the handcream works, why pay more elsewhere?! They win so many quality awards over the main supermarkets

Lol, I bought Bepanthan after one my tattoos and found out how good it is for my hands. And I use both Burts Bees Lemon Cuticle Butter and Lush Lemony Flutter too! I keep LF for bedtime as well - it's too sticky to leave on my hands any other time.